Although Lovers Be Lost 2
by angelsinstead
Summary: Vincent's heart is broken when he loses Catherine.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This is the love story of Vincent and Catherine. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the T.V. show "Beauty and the Beast", yet the "history" itself has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story. Also, this is story is AU, Please read and review!_

 _Also, I'd like to note that I do not own "Beauty and the Beast" or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only._

This fanfiction series is dedicated to Daphne.

 **~*~Chapter One~*~**

 _Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;  
Though lovers be lost love shall not;  
And death shall have no dominion._

 _By Dylan Thomas_

A helper had came from Below and had pressed a small bit of white paper into Catherine's hand. He was not seen. No one who worked in the over-crowded office where Catherine had been employed for well over two years had seen the exchange.

Then the helper walked away silently, as if he had never been in the room. When she had a free moment, when no one was near to look over her shoulder, Catherine opened the slip of paper to read the message. Her eyes widened as she read Mouse's unusually scrawled handwriting, as if to emphasize the urgency of his message. The message said:

 _Catherine,_

 _Please come Below right away. Vincent needs you. Something is terribly wrong._

 _Mouse_

Catherine did not waste a second of time. She grabbed her purse from the top of her cluttered desk and burst into Joe's office, the note now crumpled within her hand.

"What's up, Radcliffe?" Joe asked, looking up from his pile of work in surprise. Catherine didn't usually burst into his office unannounced. The color of her cheeks were ever-so pale.

"Sorry, Joe," she said. "But I have to leave now."

"What's going on?" Joe asked with his usual tone of concern. "Are you sick or something?"

"Yeah," she replied quickly.

"Probably the flu. It's going around you know. Michelle had it the other day."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Radcliffe. Take it easy, okay?"

"I'll be fine," she assured him, quickly exiting and closing the door.

~*~o~*~

Catherine drove to the parking lot on 42nd Street and parked her blue Sedan in front of the 24 hour shopping mall. Then she took off walking into Central Park. At the east edge of the giant park, she took a secluded pathway into a small forest. She then walked down a steep hill into a clearing and found the hidden entrance to the tunnels.

Mouse was waiting for her at the entrance. There was an agitated look upon his pleasant face. "Catherine, thought you'd never get here. Something wrong... with Vincent. Something terrible," Mouse said.

"Tell me, Mouse,' Catherine insisted. "Please."

"A horrible rage. No one can talk to him. Not even Father. Father is afraid. He said, 'Get Catherine.' So Mouse sent you that message."

"Where is he, Mouse?"

"In a cavern. Come, Mouse take you," he offered. He reached for Catherine's arm and lead her deep into the world Below.

~*~o~*~

Just before the cavern where Vincent raged, stood Father and Pascal. Catherine saw fear and worry upon their faces. "Catherine, Thank God you have come. Vincent is not well. We are debating what should be done," spoke Father.

Catherine could barely hear Father's voice over the agonizing sounds of Vincent's cries. He sounded as if he were dying from his rage. Vincent's tormenting wails put stabs of pain into Catherine's heart.

"He's dying, Father. I must go to him," Catherine said urgently, staring with sorrow toward the tunnel which lead to Vincent's location.

"No, Catherine. It's too dangerous. He does not know his own strength during his rage. You may be hurt," Father warned, trying to pull Catherine back.

"He needs me, Father," Catherine said firmly. "He IS my life. I have to go to him."

Father, Pascal, and Mouse watched in reluctance as Catherine walked through the tunnel toward the cavern where Vincent roared. "I have a very bad feeling about this," Pascal said with worry.

Father spoke to his companions. "If anyone can reach Vincent, it is Catherine," he said. "Let's pray."

~*~o~*~

Over an hour had passed. It was freezing in the tunnels that lead into the earth and deep into the world Below. Pascal had made a small fire, and he and Mouse bent down beside it's warmth. But Father stood at the cold entrance where Catherine had gone earlier, a grave expression upon his bearded face.

"What's taking so long?" asked Pascal, breaking the silence.

"Quiet. So quiet," Mouse observed.

"How can it be that quiet?" Pascal wondered, looking at Father uneasily.

The three were not certain when Vincent's cries of rage had ceased and when the deafening silence had began. The silence was nearly as frightening as Vincent's roars, for they feared the unknown. They feared for Catherine, because Vincent had not been himself, and he may have caused her injury in his intense fury.

"I'm going in now," Father sighed, turning into the darkened tunnels of jagged earth that lead like a miniature maze toward the cavern where Vincent had gone hours before.

He found Vincent and Catherine there. Catherine was sitting up in the soft dirt and Vincent's head was resting upon her lap. His eyes were closed, but hers were wide open. Father thought he saw emotion in them that he hadn't recognized before.

"How is he?" Father asked.

"He's alive,' was Catherine's reply.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Father and Mouse helped Vincent back to his chambers. Pascal and Catherine followed after them. Vincent seemed unnaturally weak as if all of his incredible strength was now gone. They helped him into his bed and Catherine bent down to pull a blanket over his body. Vincent's eyes went shut again as if the effort to keep them open was suddenly far too great.

"Thank you, Father," Catherine said, turning to give Father a small smile. "I can care for him now."

"Good night, Catherine." He and the others left Vincent's chamber.

Catherine slowly approached Vincent's bedside and knelt down next to him. Slowly his eyes opened and met hers. "How are you feeling now?" she asked him, her voice like a soft caress of silk.

"Where am I?" he asked, his eyes sweeping his chamber as if it were unfamiliar to him.

Catherine looked troubled by his words as her hand brushed his cheek tenderly. "We are in your chamber, Vincent. You are safe here," she said. "You are among people who love you."

They slept together that night, both lying on their sides in his narrow bed which was meant for one. Catherine pressed her face close to his chest, inhaling his masculine scent. His warmth and his touch calmed her. He caressed her light-brown hair with a large, clawed hand for many moments, staring into her eyes for awhile. Then sleep came to take him. She watched over him peacefully until it came to take her, too.

~*~o~*~

Catherine did not go into the office the following day. She didn't even call Joe. Vincent was still not himself and he needed her. There was something in his expression, something Catherine did not understand. She knew there was some kind of change within him, but she did not know what form the change might be.

"How are you doing this morning, Vincent?" she asked as he sat up on the bed. She stood near him. She hadn't left his side.

"I cannot remember things - words. I search for words for things and the meanings of the words, but they are not there." There was such pain in his eyes and it saddened her.

She sat down next him, pressing his large hand into hers. "The words will come, Vincent," she said. "You must believe me."

"I search for names... but I cannot remember," he spoke. "I cannot remember your name." There was disbelief in his eyes and quiet confusion.

"It's Catherine."

"Catherine," he said, testing the name upon his tongue. "Yes. Catherine."

"It's going to be alright, Vincent." She pulled him into her loving embrace, holding him tightly.

"You're going to be fine," she promised and she hoped that with time, it would be true.

~*~o~*~

Catherine went to the office at seven o'clock that evening. When Joe stepped out of his office, he saw her sitting at her desk. A worried expression furrowed his dark brow.

"Hi, Radcliffe. What are you doing?" Joe asked. There was no scolding for her not coming into work that morning - just a tender look on Joe's face and Catherine admired him for it.

"Just catching up on some work," she replied as she reorganized a pile of documents upon her desk. "For tomorrow."

"You know, you really should take it easy. That flu has a way of hanging around for awhile."

"Joe, I didn't have the flu."

"You didn't? Then what's wrong with you?"

"Can we go into your office?" Catherine asked, her eyes scanning the room for the janitor who was cleaning her office and the other adjoining ones. It was imperative that their conversation not be overheard.

"Sure. Follow me," Joe said, gesturing toward his office to the right.

Once inside his office, Joe closed the door and took a seat at his desk. "Okay, Radcliffe. What's wrong?"

"There's something I've got to tell you, Joe." She hesitated, her words barely audible.

"I don't like the look on your face. Is this good or bad?"

"You've been a good friend. I wouldn't want to be less than truthful with you, Joe, but I have,' Catherine stated with regret.

"About what?"

"I didn't have the flu. There is someone in my life. Someone I love very much."

"That's great," Joe said sincerely, smiling when he heard Catherine's news.

"He... he's going through a difficult time right now. He needed me to be there for him," Catherine said. "He- he's not well, Joe."

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't know," she replied. "But I am praying."

Then, before she left his office, she added, "You have a heart like his."

Her words made Joe's heart swell. A huge smile overtook his face.

~*~o~*~

After she had done all she could at the office, Catherine went Below to see Vincent. She needed to be with him; to comfort and reassure him. Vincent sat at his desk in his chamber, the same forlorn expression upon his face.

"How are you feeling?" she asked when he looked up to meet her eyes.

"The same," he said. "I need you."

That night they went to the music cavern where they had gone many nights before to listen to the musical concertos from the world Above. Vincent held Catherine in his embrace as they rested their backs against the cavern wall. The beautiful music filtered into the semi-dark cavern, echoing gracefully off the walls.

Catherine's eyes were like blue-green jewels as Vincent gazed at her lovingly in the pale rays of light which flickered from the grating far above them. His eyes searched hers as his heart beat steadily against the tender touch of her hand.

"How are you feeling now?" she asked.

"There are no words."

"Try one," she insisted.

"Blessed," he said as he pressed her even closer.

She closed her eyes, content and relaxed in the warmth of his arms. She wished they could remain this way forever - safe and warm and surrounded by love.

~*~o~*~

Catherine arrived home very late that night. She had barely stumbled into her apartment and turned on the light when the telephone rang. "Hello," she answered.

"Is this Cathy Chandler?" a woman's voice asked.

"It is."

"I'm calling for Joe. He's been in an accident. He's at Memorial Hospital. You better come down here right away."

~*~o~*~

Meanwhile, Vincent and Father stood just outside the entrance of the tunnels where Mouse had waited for Catherine just one night before. Father was looking up at the stars with a small silver telescope.

"Tell me, Father. What happened in that dark cavern? I have no memory of it," said Vincent.

"You were angry. You had such a terrible, all-consuming rage. None of us could reach you. I was so afraid, Vincent. I've never been more afraid - afraid for you- afraid for all of us," Father explained. "And then Catherine came. She went into that dark cavern all alone. She was not afraid. She went into that dark cavern... and she saved you."

Vincent started out at the stars. He still could not remember any of the events that had taken place in the cavern, but yet he knew that whatever had occurred, it had changed him. He did not welcome the change. It made him feel separated - separated from Catherine in some way...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Catherine arrived at the hospital only minutes after receiving the urgent call. She ran up to Joe's doctor and asked what had happened.

"Your friend has been in a horrible accident. There was an explosion that was meant to kill him, but he's alive," explained the doctor.

"Can I see him?"

"No, he's being taken into surgery soon."

"Is there anything I can do?" Catherine asked pleadingly.

"Yes, he's going to need blood. Let me show you where to go," the doctor replied.

~*~o~*~

An hour and a half later, Joe was brought back to his hospital room. He had a huge bandage covering the top of his dark head and ugly burns all over his body, but he was alive. Catherine went to him, and to her surprise, he opened up his blackened eyes and smiled up at her.

"Cathy," he murmured in a choked voice.

"It's okay. I am here. Get some rest now," she assured him, afraid to touch him due to the many burns and abrasions upon his body.

"Cathy, please. A book..." he said, his voice a dry crack.

"Don't try to talk, Joe."

"A book. Hanlan gave me a book before- before... the explosion," he managed to say urgently.

"Okay, Joe. I'll find the book," Catherine promised. "Just sleep now."

~*~o~*~

A nurse took Catherine to a locker room where they had placed Joe's belongings. Inside the locker was a large plastic bag which contained Joe's possessions. Within a pocket of Joe's scorched jacket, Catherine discovered a small black book which miraculously hadn't been harmed in the explosion. The book was about 3/4 of an inch thick and appeared to be some kind of an appointment book. *It's contents must be very important if someone would kill for it,* Catherine thought. Hastily, she stuffed the book in her purse and turned to exit the locker room.

At the door, she was met by the same lab technician who had taken the blood from her earlier. "Catherine? Catherine Chandler? I'm glad I caught you," the nurse said.

"Why? Is there something wrong with Joe?" Catherine asked uneasily.

"No, Joe's doing fine," the lab technician said with a smile. "I just wanted to tell you- you shouldn't have given blood."

"Why not?" Catherine asked in confusion.

"Because you are pregnant."

The words echoed in Catherine's brain as she stared at the young woman in shock. "Hey, I'm sorry," the lab tech said gently when she realized that Catherine hadn't known of her pregnancy. "It's just standard procedure that we test the blood before giving the transfusion. When we tested yours, we discovered you were pregnant. I can have your test results transferred to your regular doctor... if you would like."

Catherine wasn't listening. She walked passed the young woman and down the hallway as the words she spoke kept echoing again and again in her head. *Because you are pregnant.* As Catherine disappeared down the nearest corridor, the shocked expression remained upon her face.

~*~o~*~

Before leaving the hospital, Catherine visited the maternity ward on the second floor. She gazed at the tiny infants behind the glass for several minutes, taking in the sight of their pink skin and their precious faces. Those words echoed again, this time louder than ever before.

*Because you are pregnant. Because you are pregnant.*

Catherine turned away and finally went home. She was exhausted.

~*~o~*~

Catherine found it difficult to concentrate at work the following day. She kept dozing off at her desk. She had barely had two hours of sleep the night before.

Once she dozed off and dreamt of Vincent. She had a dream that she was with him in his chambers. "Vincent, there is something I must tell you," she said as she gave him a smile of happiness. "There is a child."

She saw a gloomy look upon his face. Her joy instantly faded. "Vincent?" she asked uneasily.

"A child? What _kind_ of a child?" he asked coldly.

The dream abruptly came to an end when Michelle plopped another pile of documents onto Catherine's already cluttered desk. "Are you okay, Cathy?" Michelle asked with concern. "You don't look so well."

"I'm fine," Catherine replied. "Just worried about Joe."

~*~o~*~

The rest of the day, Catherine attempted to send a mental message out to Vincent. In the past, it had worked, for Vincent had possessed the ability to read her private thoughts, feel her emotions, and sense any coming danger that might befall her. Ever since the night of Vincent's rage, that unique ability had been severed. When Catherine returned to her apartment, she stepped out onto her balcony, hoping greatly that Vincent had picked up on her telepathy. To her disappointment, she found that he was not there. For about an hour, she stared down at the city below, and then at last she made the decision to go to him.

~*~o~*~

When she entered his chamber, he turned to look at her. "Hello, Vincent," she said. "I need to talk to you." The gravity of the situation showed deeply within her eyes.

"I can see that you do," he said, his voice devoid of any sign of emotion.

"What do you mean?" Catherine asked, her eyes filling with moisture. She bit her lower lip as she tried not to shed those stinging tears.

"There was a time when I would have come to you - would have known the feelings you are experiencing. But tonight I could only wait for word from a Messenger that you had come Below. It's gone, Catherine - our bond. It is _gone_."

"No, Vincent. It will be back. Believe me, it will come again," she promised.

"I can't feel it now. I search for your feelings, but they are gone."

"The bond has nothing to do with you and me - what we feel for each other- that will never change. It was a gift, Vincent. A beautiful gift... and perhaps you don't need it now."

"It saved your life... more than once," he reminded.

"Yes, I know. It was a wonderful gift and you used it, but perhaps now, it isn't needed like it was before. Or perhaps... it will come again, Vincent."

"No, it is the price. The price for this new contentment."

"There will be other gifts. Just open your arms. There are other gifts- just as beautiful," Catherine whispered. "Just open your arms."

He opened his arms to her and she ran to him. He crushed her in his embrace. "Catherine,' he whispered, pressing his cheek against hers. She reveled in his warmth and his scent. His touch was all she needed.

"There are other gifts," she repeated. "Perhaps there will be another gift that will take it's place.'

"Tell me now," he insisted. "Tell me what troubles you."

"Another time," Catherine said as she pressed herself against Vincent's strong chest. For the moment, she'd just be content being held in his arms. There would be time later. There was always time... or so she thought...

~*~o~*~

Later that evening, Vincent opened the present that Catherine had given him. He unwrapped a flat, rectangular box to disclose a small black book. The book was about 2 inches thick.

"It's a journal," Catherine told him. "I thought it was appropriate."

"Yes, it is," he agreed. "Very appropriate." He opened the cover to find words written in Catherine's lovely handwriting on the opening page. It read-

 _With love, all things are possible._

 _Forever,  
Catherine_

Vincent read the words aloud and then he whispered, "Forever?"

"Yes, Vincent," she replied. " **Forever**."

Before Catherine returned Above, she asked Vincent if his memory was returning. "There are some things yet that I have no memory of. There are things that are unfamiliar."

"And me? I am unfamiliar?"

"No, not you. You are the woman I love."

"Good. I am glad, Vincent. So glad."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The next day at work, Catherine was told that Joe was doing much better and was going to be alright. She also spent a majority of the day trying to place a call to her best friend Jenny, but unfortunately, Jenny was never home. This frustrated Cathy, because she needed to talk to Jenny as soon as possible. It was urgent.

Just after her lunch break, John Moreno called Catherine into his office. He had been to visit Joe and he knew about the book Hanlan had given to Joe just before the explosion.

"I need that book, Cathy," Moreno said. "I think if I look it over, I can make a few leads."

"I'd like to keep the book myself," Catherine replied. "But I can run you off a copy of it."

"Fine. Have it on my desk first thing in the morning."

"No problem."

~*~o~*~

Directly after work, Catherine drove straight to Elliot Burke's office building on the other side of the city. Needless to say, Elliot was surprised to see her. He had not seen or spoken to Cathy in months.

"Elliot, I need your help," she said, taking a seat in a lounge chair inside his huge office on the seventeenth floor.

"What's going on, Cathy?" he asked.

"Someone is trying to kill Joe and Patrick Hanlan turned up dead in that explosion. I need you to check out a few dates for me. You have the access-."

"I don't know, Cathy. I am a very busy man."

"Please, Elliot. I wouldn't ask, but I have no where else to turn," Catherine pleaded.

Elliot sighed heavily. She was just too beautiful. She was breaking down his wall of resistance with her blue-green eyes. "Okay. I'll do it,' he groaned.

Quickly, she pressed the piece of paper into his hand where she had jotted down a few of the dates. "Thanks, Elliot. Call me the minute anything turns up," she said with a bright smile.

Elliot watched her walk from his office with longing. What he wouldn't do to have her back again... but she would never be his. She had made that perfectly clear. He'd have to live without her... and love her from afar.

~*~o~*~

After her visit with Elliot, Catherine went home. She wasn't going to Vincent tonight - she had too much on her mind. She needed time to think; besides she could not bear that haunted look lurking in the depths of Vincent's eyes.

What had caused that look? Catherine thought she knew the answer...

The other night when Catherine entered the cavern, Vincent stood turned away from her. His large body was thrashing in agony as his wails of torment echoed loudly off the walls of the underground chamber.

"Vincent," she called out to him.

Swiftly he turned around, his inch long, pointed fangs protruding from beneath his upper lip. He growled at her, his deep voice ferocious. He regarded Catherine with a look of a wild beast within his eyes.

His stance was threatening, but Catherine showed no fear. Slowly she neared him until she was only a few feet away. *He will not hurt me. He CANNOT hurt me,* she kept saying to herself.

Vincent's head lashed back in an angry snarl as she neared him. He could not see clearly in his intense rage. In his eyes, she was a beautiful specter - beckoning him temptingly. The scent of her perfume was driving him wild. It teased his nostrils with the scent of wild roses.

His tempest rage had began nearly two hours earlier, but it had been building within him for months. He had always been able to stifle it in the past - push it back down and away, but this time it had consumed him - forcing him to see Catherine in his mind, her voice calling out to him seductively as her curvaceous body teased him.

"Vincent, I am here," Catherine said. "Let me help you."

Very slowly, a part of the mist began to fade from Vincent's vision, but still he could not see Catherine as clearly as normal. He began to see Catherine as she really was - concerned and longing to reach out to him with her tender touch.

"Catherine," he choked out, his voice a heated whisper. "I want you."

She saw it then - the wild lust as it exploded his blue eyes. She had seen it before, many times when he held her close in the strength of his arms, but always before he had restrained it. Now he looked unable to hold back his passion. It was overflowing from his every pore.

His large clawed hand reached out toward hers and very slowly her hand moved across the distance between them until he pressed her small hand into his. Then Vincent pulled her in close, so tight against his body. She wrapped her arms around him- loving the strength and the warmth of him. She felt his large hands caressing her back, her hair - his touch flaming.

"Vincent," she whispered against his chest, her voice breathless.

"I have to have you, Catherine," he said, his voice like a deep groan in her ear. "Now."

They did not remove their clothing. Vincent undid his dark-colored pants and he pulled down Catherine's denim jeans. He pushed up her orange sweater, revealing the swell of her breasts, covered only by a lacy bra. For several moments he did nothing but gaze in wonder at Catherine's body, his blue eyes alive with uncontrollable desire.

"I long to touch you..."

She took his hands and placed them upon her breasts. He stroked her tenderly as she trembled beneath him. His breathing was wild, like that of an untamed animal.

Soon his mouth met hers in their first passionate kiss. Vincent had made it clear in the past that they must never kiss this way, for it would make him lose all control.

Vincent did lose control. He made love to Catherine. Not once, but twice. Catherine had never felt so much pain- nor such intense pleasure as she discovered in Vincent's arms that day. Vincent did not make love like a man. He made love like an animal, but Catherine found excitement in it and she experienced great joy in his potent hunger.

After it was over, Vincent seemed drained, as though all of his great strength had been stolen from him. He lay on the cavern floor, his breathing harsh and his expression languid. Catherine bent down to fasten his pants, and then as if in a daze, she eased her own clothing back into place.

"Vincent," she whispered, but he would not answer her. Something had changed within him - he had lost something within the course of their love. That is how Father found them there - Vincent lying with his head on Catherine's lap without even the strength to stand on his own, and Catherine sitting upon the dirt floor, her eyes shining with the emotions of love.

It hurt Catherine deeply that Vincent was unable to recall their lovemaking. She had wanted to tell him, she decided it was best to let him remember those things on his own. She hadn't contemplated a pregnancy - the thought of it had never entered her mind. Now she had mixed feelings about her condition, because she was not certain what Vincent's reaction would be. What if the child was born like himself - disfigured and not quite human, but brilliant and extraordinary? To Catherine, it was of no consequence - she would love the child, despite his or her appearance, just as much as she loved Vincent.

Now she had to summon the courage from within herself to tell Vincent about what took place in the cavern and the consequences of their joining, but her apprehension stopped her from going to him. Her greatest fear was that the news might destroy Vincent and cause harm to the precious love they shared - just as his psychic abilities had recently been destroyed.

With those thoughts bombarding her mind, Catherine stood on her balcony, her heart aching for Vincent. "Ohhh my love," she said quietly as she stared out over the balcony wall at the lights of the city. "What shall I do?"

Only the sound of the wind answered back, blowing in her hair and cooling her skin. She wrapped her arms around herself, going back inside. She was without Vincent tonight... and any night without Vincent was an incredibly lonely one.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The next day during work, Cathy experienced a strange feeling, as if someone was close by; watching her. As she completed her tasks, the strange feeling made her feel uneasy. She was constantly looking over her shoulder, but no one appeared suspicious. Less than one hour before her lunch break, she hurriedly wrote a message for Vincent. It read:

 _Vincent,_

 _I need you to meet me on the balcony tonight. There is something very important I must discuss with you. Please be careful._

 _Catherine_

She handed the message to a helper on the street just outside of her office building as she walked to her car. She was going to meet Jenny for lunch since she had finally gotten in touch with her. Catherine's car was parked in a deserted parking lot next to her office building. As she neared her car, she felt that peculiar feeling again. She turned to look behind her, but saw no one following her.

When she stepped into her vehicle, abruptly two tall men in black suits approached on either side of her car. Catherine began to roll down her window to ask what they wanted, when suddenly the man on her left put a gun in her face.

Cathy screamed and quickly put the car into reverse. The gun fired, taking out Catherine's windshield. Cathy quickly sped through the huge parking lot, swerving to avoid parked cars. As she attempted to make her escape, the two men with guns shot at a man who was getting out of his van. The men stole the large orange van so that they could chase after Cathy in her car.

They began shooting persistently until the glass of her rear window shattered. Catherine swiftly turned the corner, ran from her car, and rushed toward the elevator that would once again take her back into her own office building. She pressed the button to open the elevator doors, but it would be a minute before the elevator would reach the sixth floor then return to the lower level.

"Come on! Come on!" she cried, but the elevator was starting down ever-so-slowly.

She heard the sickening crash as the van hit her own car and then the two men scurried out. They were swiftly approaching her. Just then the elevator doors swung open and Cathy stepped inside. The doors went closed before the two men could grab Catherine.

"Dammit! We let her get away!" one of the men shouted.

Catherine pressed the button to the sixth floor where her own office was located. She gave out a sigh of relief when the doors came open and there stood John Moreno.

"Ohhh, thank God, Moreno-!" Catherine exclaimed, but her words trailed away when two armed guards appeared on either side of Mr. Moreno. Mr. Moreno stepped away, allowing the two guards to reach out for Catherine. Her mind whispered Vincent's name as the two men drug her away.

~*~o~*~

Father was the one who brought the message from Above to Vincent. Vincent had been in his chamber reading the poetry of Shakespeare when Father entered. "Vincent, this just arrived for you," Father said, handing the slip of paper to his son.

Quickly Vincent unfolded the paper to disclose Catherine's message. He stood up swiftly, his eyes widening at her words. "It's from Catherine," Vincent explained. "I must go to her tonight."

"You're going Above?" Father asked with concern. "Are you certain you're feeling up to it? I could send a messenger.'

"No, Father. I am going," Vincent said firmly. "I must get on with my life. It is time."

Father knew not to argue. It would do no good. Whenever he had witnessed that determined look on his son's face, he knew there would be no way to change his mind. "Alright," Father said with a heavy sigh. "But be careful, Vincent."

~*~o~*~

At the very moment Father and Vincent spoke, Catherine's apartment was being searched. Four men were scouring Catherine's belongings from top to bottom. Not one inch of her apartment was to be left untouched by their inspection. Orders were to search until the book Hanlan had given to Joe just before the explosion was found or until any clue was discovered that could lead to the book's whereabouts.

At six o'clock that night, the four men put in a call to The Boss. "The apartment has been thoroughly searched. There is no sign of the book. However, we did search other books on the premises and we discovered something quite peculiar," said Jonathan Pope, The Boss's right hand man.

"What is that?" The Boss demanded.

"Many of her books contained writing on the opening page. The messages said : _To Catherine, With Love, Vincent._ Her records we have compiled do not account for this man Vincent. Perhaps if we were to find him, he could lead us to the book."

"Perhaps he can," The Boss agreed.

~*~o~*~

It was late in the evening, just as the sun was setting in the western sky, when Vincent made his way onto Catherine's balcony. There was darkness inside her apartment and when he approached the French doors, he suddenly knew she was not at home.

He attempted to stare through the glass, but the glare of the city lights reflecting on the windows blocked his view of the apartment within. "Catherine, where are you?" he whispered, his voice trailing into the wind.

He stood there a few moments, willing her to come, but she did not. Where was she?! Her message had been urgent; perhaps she had fallen into some kind of trouble. With their psychic connection severed, he was unable to tell if she were in any danger.

Suddenly as the sun sunk deeper in the sky, he got a glimpse of the apartment within. "Catherine!" Vincent cried out, bursting through the French doors and nearly tearing them off their hinges.

He searched every room thoroughly, but Catherine was no where to be found. Her lovely little home was in a state of great disaster, yet very few of her possessions appeared to be broken. As he walked through the living room toward the doorway of the balcony, Vincent noticed something which was setting on the mantle of the fireplace. He recognized it to be a framed photograph of Catherine and her late father. He reached out, taking the picture for himself. He knew Catherine would not mind.

Where was she? And why was their bond severed? How would he ever find her?

As tears shone in his blue eyes, Vincent returned to the balcony, staring off into the night. He'd find her. He would turn the world upside down and he'd find her. He had to get his Catherine back where she belonged - in his arms.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Catherine was tied to a chair, her hands wrenched tightly behind her back. Her captors were interrogating her. "Tell us where you put the black book!" they said relentlessly.

"We need that book back immediately!" one of the muscular men insisted, as her captors stared at her with hateful eyes. "Tell us where it is!"

Catherine shook her head as more tears fell. She refused to budge. No matter how much they screamed at her, she refused to speak. She would not speak a single word.

"Alright, you leave us no other choice," said one of the men. "We'll have to call in a doctor now. And he will FORCE you to talk."

Catherine knew that either way, she was as good as dead. It was just a matter of time before the men disposed of her as a witness. The only reason she was alive at that very moment was because they thought she had what it was that they sought - the black book.

~*~o~*~

Vincent paced the floor of his chamber nervously as he argued with Father. "I have to find her. I have no other choice," Vincent cried out.

"But how will you search for her?" Father asked. "You and Catherine no longer have your special connection. You have to have patience... and faith."

Vincent gave a huge sigh as he stopped in his tracks. He was staring down at the framed photograph of Catherine and her father where he had placed it upon his table. His heart was aching as all he wanted to do was find his beloved.

"You do not understand," Vincent said with sadness. "I should not have bothered you."

"Vincent, you're not-."

"Please," Vincent said brokenheartedly. "Just go."

Father had no other choice but to leave his son alone to endure his suffering.

~*~o~*~

A terrible sadness hung over Vincent like a dark cloud. After all the others Below had gone off to bed, Vincent left his chambers. He wandered the tunnels aimlessly. Eventually, he left and went Above.

He searched the streets in the darkness, his longing for Catherine growing with every single step he took. He was looking for something he just could not find. The precious one he desired most was lost to him.

Quietly he said to himself, "I can no longer feel your warmth, reaching out me. I feel only cold and emptiness. But I know you're alive. And I WILL find you. I will never stop searching. **Never**."

As tears fell down his face, he sunk to his knees in a pitch-black alley, next to a row of beat-up, metal garbage cans. New York City was ever so large. Catherine could be anywhere - ANYWHERE. Ohhhh how could he have lost the woman he loved?! HOW?!

~*~o~*~

Joe was arguing with Moreno about the Catherine Chandler case. "She's not going to be found... At least not alive. You should just let it go," Moreno insisted.

Joe had no idea that Moreno was crooked and that his boss had given Catherine over to THE Boss. "There's no way I will ever give up on finding Cathy Chandler. I will search for her forever... even if it costs me my life," Joe said firmly.

Moreno stared at Joe, tight-lipped. *And it just might,* he whispered to Joe in his mind.

"I give you two weeks. TWO weeks. Then Catherine Chandler case is closed," Moreno stated. He then turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

~*~o~*~

A man with a scarred face was seated at an art sale, hoping to bid on an exquisite painting. "I want it for 1 million dollars,' the man said in his deep, gravelly voice. The beautiful piece of art would comfort him like a healing salve. There was so little beauty in the world, but this painting was something true and tangible - unlike people. He was abandoned as child after having been abused. He was unwanted because _he_ had been different and scarred. Then they came - his parents and he had been adopted. They made him into the man he was today - ruthless and ambitious.

He always got what he wanted - _always_. And so it was, the painting was now his to enjoy. He would display it in his home; his empty home devoid of life and of people. He hated them all and wanted them to die... each and every one of them. He would kill them all if he could. But if he did, they would discover his crimes. He had many goals to accomplish before his death. As he was leaving the art sale, he got the call. It was the doctor - that bald, ugly, little worm.

~*~o~*~

For days they attempted to interrogate her and injected her with drugs. When she got sick, they called in a doctor. He stared at her with pitying eyes. She looked back at him, groggy from all the injections. When she _still_ refused to speak, the doctor called The Boss. "She knows five connections, but still refuses to tell us where she hid the book."

Gabriel sighed. "Give her more of the truth serum. MAKE her talk," he demanded.

"Boss, anymore injections... it may be harmful. To the fetus," said the doctor. "She's pregnant."

"Continue," Gabriel said coldly.

With a grim look, the doctor gave Catherine another injection. She gasped in pain, but still refused to give the location of the book, even though the doctor said, "You know how to end this. You better talk. Tell us where to find the book."

Catherine didn't say a word. She just shook her head.

Later, after her captors were away from the room, Catherine threw up in the corner. In her drugged state, she should see a vision of Vincent, holding his arms out to her. She tried to run toward to him, but she couldn't move. She was far too weak. "Vincent!" she called out, but then she realized it wasn't real. It was just an illusion.

As she knelt upon the floor, she wished that Vincent _was_ there to save her. It was then that she noticed a series of metal pipes along the wall. PIPES!

She reached for her high-heeled shoe which was lying on the floor. She began to click the pipes with the heel of her shoe in attempt to send out a message to Vincent which could be heard far Below.

Meanwhile, Gabriel and his goons were wondering who Vincent might be and just who he was to Catherine. They had found some books in her apartment with his name written in them. "Whoever this man is... Vincent; I think he can lead us to the book," Gabriel said to Jonathon, his right-hand man.

"Do whatever you have to do to find this Vincent at once," Gabriel ordered his henchman.

~*~o~*~

When the urgent message came in on the pipes down Below, a messenger rushed to Vincent's side. "It's Catherine! She's trying to reach you!" the messenger exclaimed.

The messenger gave Vincent the location of the warehouse were Catherine was being held. It was a matter of minutes before Vincent made it to the warehouse. In a furious rage, he tore down the steel doors as he was being recorded by dozens of security cameras from several angles. As Vincent was breaking into the warehouse, Gabriel's goons were taking Catherine away in a car. She was so heavily drugged, she barely knew what was happening around her, but from somewhere, she thought heard Vincent's fierce roar. Had he come for her? Was she about to be rescued?!

Vincent was standing on the second story, staring out of the window when he saw Catherine being whisked away in a black car. He burst through the glass, shattering it into thousands of razor-sharp pieces. He landed on the car as it began to speed away. He was thrown off the vehicle as it drove away, but not before he had slashed into the throat of one of Catherine's captors with his deadly claws as he reached in through the open window. As he lay on the ground, watching the car disappear down the street, he called out his beloved's name in agony. " **Catherine**!" he screamed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Six months had passed. Gabriel was speaking to the doctor about Catherine's pregnancy. "Boss, the nature of the pregnancy... it- it's not _normal_. It's progressing at an alarming fast pace. The child could be born at any minute."

"I want that child. The baby- it will be extraordinary," said Gabriel. He was watching the footage of Vincent tearing down the door, growling, snarling, and fighting off the guards. Gabriel was riveted to the screen. He enjoyed watching the footage over and over.

Catherine was taken down the hall for an ultrasound. On the way there, Catherine begged a middle-aged nurse to help her. "Please, take this to someone outside," Catherine pleaded, giving the nurse a small scrap of paper.

The nurse looked at Catherine with cold eyes. As the ultrasound commenced, Gabriel was present. To Catherine's great dismay, the nurse gave the scrap of paper to Gabriel right in front of Catherine. She had no help. **No one** would come to save her. Catherine was heartbroken. She feared that they'd take her baby.

"It's a boy," the doctor said to Gabriel.

"Excellent," Gabriel said with a half-smile.

~*~o~*~

Vincent had spent agonizing months without his Catherine. He had returned to the warehouse many times, but there was no sign of the woman he loved. Sadly, one night, Father insisted that Catherine must be dead. " **She is not dead**!" Vincent bellowed. He refused to believe he had lost her forever.

Later that night as Vincent lay in his bed, he could a pounding sound within his head. At first it was faint... but with time, it grew louder. It sounded like... a heartbeat!

" **Catherine**!" he screamed, jumping up from his bed.

Was it Catherine's heartbeat he was hearing? Had his connection to her returned?

But it was not Catherine's heartbeat that alerted Vincent. It was the baby's. He could hear the child's heartbeat as Catherine lay in her bare, sterile room, having terrible pains. With each contraction, Catherine winced. She cried out softly in agony and fear.

Biting her lower lip, she knelt down on the floor, under the watchful 'eye' of the camera. Vincent continued to hear the amazing heartbeat of the child. It was getting stronger and stronger... and it was calling to him. Suddenly, Vincent knew where to go. He was exhilarated, knowing that the connection he had just regained would lead him to Catherine.

Vincent rushed to the facility where Catherine had been held captive for the past six months. He barged his way inside, killing everyone in his path in an attempt rescue his beloved. In the meantime, Catherine was taken to a hospital room and strapped to a table. Vincent was destroying all the cameras in the facility as he made his way toward his destination. The heartbeat was intense. It beckoned him. He was raging as he tried to get to Catherine's side.

Catherine was instructed to push as doctor knelt between her knees. She was pushing with all her strength, but still the baby did not emerge. Gabriel stood by, watching the baby's birth. He was watching the monitors and he knew that it was just a matter of time before Vincent burst into the room. He couldn't take the chance. He turned to the doctor and said coldly, " _Cut_ the child out."

With a grim look upon his face, the doctor reached for scalpel. As he moved it closer to Catherine's enlarged abdomen, she cried out, "No!" She began to push with renewed force. With a loud gasp, she felt the child slide from her body.

Her baby boy had been born. All she got was a glimpse of her son as the doctor wrapped him in a blanket and handed him to the nurse. He was crying. Her baby son was crying... and all she wanted was to _hold_ him.

Gabriel gazed upon the child. "He's perfect," he said as he took in the features of the tiny face.

"Please... Let me hold him. P _LEASE_ ," Catherine pleaded, but sadly, to her dismay, the nurse and the guards took her son away, leaving Catherine all alone in the room with Gabriel and the doctor.

"Take care of it," Gabriel said to the doctor without an ounce of compassion.

He rushed out of room as the doctor prepared an injection for Catherine. "You won't suffer," the doctor said with a sad expression as he pushed the needle into Catherine's vein. She struggled as she was injected with an unknown drug.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Vincent made his way to the roof, killing everyone who stood in his path. When he came across the balding, cowardly doctor who was trying to escape from the facility, he slashed his throat with his deadly claws, leaving him in a bloody heap at the bottom of the stairwell. The beating heart which continued to thump frantically had lead him up the staircase toward the roof. He rushed as quickly as he could, hoping to rescue Catherine from her dangerous captors.

As he stepped onto the roof, Vincent saw Gabriel, the nurse, and a couple of guards getting into a helicopter. The nurse was clutching a small bundle wrapped in white blanket. Vincent screamed Catherine's name, but there was no sight of her as the helicopter took off at an incredible speed. It was headed far away from the building and very soon, it had disappeared from Vincent's sight. He was left with confusion as the image of Gabriel waving at him triumphantly from inside the helicopter played over and over again in his mind's eye.

Where was Catherine?! What had happened to her? And **why** had the sound of that beating heart led him to the roof?

His shoulders slumped in defeat, thinking that he had lost her again. He had tried so hard... but he had lost the woman he loved. WHERE was she? Where was Catherine?!

It was at that moment when a very weak and pale Catherine made her way up the staircase. Her legs were numb and unstable as she stood on the roof, calling out Vincent's name. He turned suddenly, running toward the sound of her voice. He grabbed her into his arms as she collapsed, her legs folding suddenly underneath her.

Nothing could be heard for several seconds but the quiet sound of their sobbing as she lay her cheek against his chest. She was so grateful for the sensation of his arms which banded around her with so much security and tenderness. "Vincent,' she said her voice full of love and longing.

Holding her close, he spoke her name as well, his clawed fingers running a slow caress through her disheveled light brown hair. There was something wrong. Something was _terribly_ wrong. What had happened to Catherine, his beloved?

Pulling back slightly, he looked into her eyes, seeing tears and so much heartache. Desperately, she was trying to tell him something of great importance. "Vincent, we loved," she said. "There is a child."

He stared back at her. A look of disbelief overtook the features of his lion-like face. "A child?"

Catherine could barely speak, but somehow she managed to say, "He's beautiful."

"Catherine?" Vincent whispered. She was fading quickly. She was struggling to hold on... just a little bit longer.

"Catherine?" he said more urgently, still clutching her in his grip. Had he let her go, she would have crumbled to the ground.

"Although... lovers be lost..." she quietly said.

"Love shall not..." Vincent responded.

And in that exact moment - that terrible and heart-wrenching moment - Catherine went completely still in his arms.

Vincent murmured, "And death shall have no dominion."

He crushed her against his chest, his tears falling like rain. There were no more words left to be uttered. All that was left was emptiness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

He lifted his precious burden into his arms, pressing her close as her pale cheek rested against his broad chest. His deadly claws had killed and maimed this night, but he only had tenderness for her, his beloved. He carried her out of the facility where she had been held captive for many months, feeling her body chill as they stepped out into the night air.

*Ohhh Catherine,* he lamented. *I was too late to save you... though I tried. Now all I have is our memories. Memories of our love.*

Sadly though, he had no memory of the moment when their child had been conceived. None at all. Their child's conception was a complete blank to him.

They had loved? They had made a child? Just the thought of it made his heart ache with longing. He had something else to live for... there was a child- a son. He had to save him. He had to...

His thoughts abruptly stopped as he cradled his Catherine, walking through the streets like a specter. For whatever reason, he did not meet a single soul that cold, dark night. His eyes were blinded by tears; his vision blurry. It's a miracle he made it back to Catherine's apartment.

*Ohhhh Catherine!* he cried out deep from within. She was so still and cold; entirely limp in the circle of his arms.

Finally, after much walking, he ended up at Catherine's apartment. Somehow he carried her up the balcony and into her bedroom. He lay her down on the bed as he cried brokenly over her still form. As the moments ticked by, he recalled their moments of love and happiness.

Sadly, their dream had never came true. Not really. Catherine had longed for it so deeply, but in the end, she didn't get what it was she had needed. He'd regret that for the rest of his life.

"Catherine," he said as he held her close. It was heart-wrenching but he had no other choice to whisper his goodbyes. Morning was coming soon and he couldn't be found alone with her lifeless body.

His heart was broken. It was torn and tattered into a million pieces. As he kissed her softly on the lips, his chest was constricting with pain. Then with one last look at that precious face so dear, Vincent left.

He made his way Below, his shoulders slumped with sadness. "Vincent, what is it?" Father asked when he saw the distress of his son. Vincent looked as though he had gone through the flames of hell.

"Catherine is dead, Father," Vincent said. "I could not save her, though I tried."

There was so much sorrow as Father did all in his power to comfort his son. "I'm so sorry, Vincent," Father said as there were no other words. All words in that moment would have been inadequate. Catherine had been such a divine soul. It was unfair for her to be taken so soon and so young.

~*~o~*~

It was the wee hours of morning when Joe received an important phone call. Cathy Chandler's apartment had been broken into... again. After her disappearance, Joe had insisted that they keep watch on it day and night. He wasn't giving up on the Cathy Chandler case, despite his boss's orders.

There was a light on the bedroom and someone had been seen upon the balcony. Joe rushed over to Cathy's apartment building, eager to see who might be snooping around in Catherine's belongings. Months had passed and they still hadn't found the kidnapper. Even so, Joe refused to believe that Catherine was dead. _He would FIND her, even if he had to search ALL of the earth_.

When he arrived on the scene, the cops were swarming the place, looking for clues and evidence. "Joe, don't go in the bedroom," said one of the detectives.

"Why? What's in there?" Joe demanded.

Before the detective could stop him, Joe barged his way into Catherine's bedroom... and to his surprise and great shock, there she was... lying upon the bed. She appeared so peaceful - just like an angel... and in that moment, Joe realized she was dead.

He knelt at her bedside as he said his sorrowful goodbyes. Hot tears stung at his eyes, nearly blinding him. "Radcliffe, you _can't_ be gone," he said.

His tears fell on her hand as he remained at her bedside. He was holding it so tightly as a rain of sadness began trickle silently down his cheeks.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

As his hot tears fell upon Catherine's cold, limp hand, Joe suddenly cried out. "She's alive!" he called out urgently to a paramedic. He had just discovered while holding her hand a very faint pulse. Catherine was living... but barely hanging on!

All of the policeman and the investigators had just left the scene. It was Joe and one paramedic who remained in Catherine's apartment.

Catherine wasn't dead! Joe and the paramedic worked frantically to revive her. After she took a long gasping breath, Joe whisked her away to safety to an undisclosed location. He stayed by her side, guarding her with his strength and silent protection.

"I'm here, Radcliffe," he said as he held her hand. He remained at her side until she was able to speak. A doctor and nurse were there to look after her, but Joe wanted no one else to know that Catherine was alive. The world must believe that Cathy Chandler had died. Joe knew he had to protect her at any cost.

As the hours passed, Catherine showed more signs of life. Very weakly, she spoke Joe's name as she clutched at the covers. She was becoming coherent, although she was still very weak from her ordeal.

"Cathy?" he said as he looked down at her, so glad she was alive.

"Joe... my baby," she murmured. "I need you to help me find my son."

"You have a son?" Joe asked in surprise. "How can you have a child, Radcliffe?"

Catherine's lips were cracked and peeling as she did her best to answer Joe's questions. "I need... I need Vincent," she insisted.

"Who is Vincent?"

He knew he'd heard that name before, then he remembered that the police had found the name Vincent in several of the books in Cathy's apartment. The investigators of the case had thought maybe Vincent might be a suspect in Catherine's disappearance. "You better tell me everything," Joe said as he vaguely remembered Catherine mentioning Vincent to him one night in his office. Catherine had said she loved him and he wasn't well.

"You better sit down, Joe," Catherine said in a scratchy voice.

After Joe was seated, Catherine began to tell him everything, starting with her slashed face and her prior disappearance. "It was Vincent who saved me," she said. "We fell in love."

"He's the father of your baby?"

"Yes, but he's not... He's not like everybody else. He's different. He's exceptional," she explained.

Joe looked confused as Catherine tried to make him understand.

"Because of Vincent's ... uniqueness, Gabriel took the baby," she told Joe. "I think that he killed Maxwell. He wants the black book."

"Do you know where the black book is?" Joe questioned.

"Vincent has it," Catherine revealed.

~*~o~*~

Still deeply in mourning, Vincent was writing in his journal while grieving for his Catherine. Through his steady rain of tears, he could see her precious image across the room. She was so incredibly beautiful. All he wanted was to enfold her in his embrace - all the wanted was to hold her.

"Catherine," he called out with longing.

"Find our son," her apparition implored him.

Wiping away his tears, he left his chamber and went to the cavern- the cavern where he had nearly died that night when the darkness had consumed him. Suddenly the memories began to replay of the lovemaking that he had shared with Catherine. In that incredible moment, their baby boy had been conceived.

He had a child; a son!

"I will find our son, Catherine," he vowed. "I swear it to you ... on my life."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Father put on his best suit and tie. He stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the tie as his reflection stared back at him. His eyes were tired and swollen. Today he would say his goodbyes to Catherine, Vincent's love, a young woman he had cared about as though she had been his own daughter.

It wasn't fair. Catherine was gone and Vincent was grieving as though his heart had been taken... and it had.

As Father prepared for Catherine's funeral, Vincent joined him in Father's chambers. Vincent too looked haggard. He hadn't slept since he had found her and said his goodbyes. "I don't know if I can do this, Vincent," said Father as his voice broke. "Say goodbye to someone so full of life and grace. It isn't fair that she's gone. She had so much more to give to this world."

"You have to go for me, Father... in my place," Vincent stated. "You must say goodbye for me as I cannot."

Father turned and hugged Vincent close, squeezing him in his arms. As they broke the embrace, Vincent looked into his father's loving eyes. "Father... Catherine has left me - a child... and I must find him," Vincent revealed.

"A child?" Father repeated with shock. Catherine had given birth to Vincent's child?

"Yes, Father. He's mine and I will stop at nothing until I bring him home... until I bring him here, to our sanctuary."

"Yes, we must find him," Father agreed, once again hugging his son.

~*~o~*~

As he very rarely did, Father left the sanctuary Below and ventured Above to a grand church where he would attend Catherine Chandler's funeral. As many spoke of her greatness with sorrowed tears, Father sat in a pew alone, listening as her friends and co-workers told of Catherine's selflessness. "She was a great woman... and I'll will miss her," Jenny spoke at the altar before dissolving into tears.

Jenny went into Joe's arms as he did his best to console her. "All is not lost," he tried to reassure her, but to Jenny the death of her best and dearest friend was devastating and despite Joe's comfort, she remained in a deep state of grief and agitation.

Joe felt terrible, but he knew he must keep up with the facade. Catherine's very life depended on it... and then there was the child - a little boy that Joe had promised to return to his mother, yet he had no clue how to find Catherine's infant son. Many who loved Catherine had said their goodbyes that day. Joe felt bad about lying as he was bombarded with Jenny's quiet weeping at his side.

After the memorial, the group of mourners met at the gravesite, where a gleaming black coffin was set into the earth. There wasn't a dry eye in the cemetery as colorful, gorgeous flowers were placed upon the mound of dirt. The gravestone said - _Here lies Catherine Chandler. Beloved in life; Forever Missed in Death_. Other than that, there was just the dates of Catherine's birth and the date that was her death. As Joe stared at the stone, he knew it was all a lie - a terrible, but necessary one. He had to keep Catherine safe at any cost, even if he must fool her beloved friends and all who loved her that she was forever gone.

As Father stood at Catherine's grave, he dropped a single red rose upon the earth. It fell silently upon the mound of dirt that signified the loss of one so tender. *Vincent should be here,* thought Father. *Saying his goodbyes.*

In his head, he spoke to Catherine, telling her all he never had the chance to say before her untimely demise. *Catherine, you were like a daughter to me. You brought Vincent so much happiness... and the two of you were destined to be together. I am so sorry you were taken from us far too soon... and like Vincent, I vow to do everything in my power to rescue your son, your precious boy. Don't worry. I'll take care of Vincent. His heart is broken and I know there is no greater love. I too lost the love of my life, my soulmate far too soon. But he'll have the baby... and he'll be okay. I promise that to you.*

As he stood at the gravesite, lingering in his grief, his eyes caught those of a man named Joe, Catherine's boss and a dear friend.

For a moment, Joe wondered, *Could this mysterious man have something to do with Vincent? Why isn't _he_ here at Catherine's funeral?* But before Joe could confront the man, Father had walked away, down the path as he swiftly left the cemetery. He must return to Vincent who needed him far more than Catherine could at that moment. Vincent was all that mattered as Jacob Wells walked away.

~*~o~*~

Day gave way to night and now the cemetery was silent. Hours had passed since the casket had been lowered into the earth. All that remained were still shadows and tree limbs which softly swaying in the breeze. A lone man came to the gravestone of Catherine Chander, gazing with so much sadness and longing at the words upon the stone.

Long after all the mourners had gone, Vincent showed up to pay his respects to his beloved. He collapsed on the mound of fresh dirt as he began to sob. "Ohhh Catherine... nooooo," he lamented. "You _can't_ be gone."

But as he spoke of her with tears and longing, the sound of the wind whispered back. It seemed to be trying to tell him something... something so critical. It was a mystery he didn't have the emotional strength to unravel.

Catherine WAS gone... and so was their son. _Where_ had Catherine's captors taken the boy? _How_ would he ever find him?

He could only hope and pray there'd be a way; some sort of clue that would lead him to his son. "Catherine, you have to help me," Vincent deplored. "I can't do this without you... I can't."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Joe spoke to the doctor about the state of Catherine's health. "At this time, she's paralyzed from the waist down," the doctor gently explained. They were well out of ear-shot from Catherine who was resting in the next room. "Whatever drug she was given caused paralysis which made it seem as though she had died. Thankfully, she survived. Too much of the drug would have lead to permanent damage or even death."

"Will she ever be able to walk again?" Joe asked with concern.

"It's possible... given time and a lot of medical care. She'll need physical therapy and a great deal of rest. All you can do is pray for her at this point," the doctor replied.

Joe nodded. He'd done a lot of praying during the months of Catherine's disappearance. After her funeral yesterday, he had been praying non-stop that he would find a lead which could help him find her son. "A lot of people are heartbroken right now... thinking she's dead," Joe stated.

"Let them believe whatever is necessary to keep her safe," the doctor said. "You've done the right thing, bringing her here to this safe location. No one can harm her here and she can heal."

"Yes, she definitely needs time to heal," Joe agreed. "Thank you, Doctor."

After speaking with the doctor, Joe went into Catherine's room to visit with her. She was laying there so peacefully, her eyes closed in sleep. Joe didn't want to awaken her, but as she felt his presence nearby, she roused, giving him a tender smile. "Hello, Joe," she said. "Thank you for saving my life."

"I really thought we'd lost you there at first, Radcliffe," Joe said as he gently took her hand in his.

"I miss Vincent,' she said with heavy sigh. "I need to see him."

"I know, but you're recovering," Joe said. "You need to give yourself time."

"How much time? Yesterday you attended my funeral. Everyone I love thinks I am dead," she said sadly. "Even Vincent."

"I'm sorry. I know how hard that must be for you."

"I hate for the people I love to suffer. Please, Joe, bring Vincent to me. We have to find our son," Catherine begged.

"Alright, Cathy. I will do what I can. I still don't want anyone to know you're alive... until it's absolutely safe."

"Vincent is safe. He'll protect me."

Joe nodded. He couldn't wait to meet this mysterious Vincent. He'd heard so much about him. "How do I find him?" Joe asked.

Catherine told Joe where to find the hidden tunnels beneath Central Park. "Once you've found the tunnels, leave a message for Father. You can set up a meeting with him," Catherine said, feeling suddenly weak and drained.

She desperately needed her rest, but she also needed Vincent at her side. He was her strength. She knew that he would stop at nothing to rescue their son. She needed her baby in her arms. It wasn't fair that he had been taken from her, before she even got the chance to hold him. Every moment, she wondered how her cruel captor Gabriel was caring for her infant son. Was her child safe in Gabriel's care?

Joe tenderly kissed Catherine on the forehead, telling her to get some much-needed rest. He then set out to take a message to Father. It was that very evening when he met Father in the park. "I am looking for Vincent," Joe said as he approached the man he'd seen at Catherine's funeral.

"What business do you have with him?" Father questioned.

"I am a good friend of Cathy's... and I am trying to locate her child," Joe explained. "I need Vincent's help. I am going to rescue Catherine's child."

"Vincent will help," Father stated. "He too wants what is best for the child."

"Alright. So when can I meet him?"

"Before you meet with Vincent, you must understand... my son isn't like other men. He's different."

Joe listened as Father prepared him for what he could expect upon meeting Vincent. "I am really looking forward to meeting him," Joe replied.

"Come back to the park at midnight. Vincent will be here, wearing a long black cloak," said Father.

"I'll be here," Joe agreed.

At midnight, Joe returned to the park, looking for Vincent. An extremely tall man emerged from the trees, wearing a long black cloak with a thick, dark hood. For just a moment, Joe was speechless. Vincent was nothing like he had expected him to be... he was _more_.

"You must be Vincent," Joe said after he had caught a glimpse of Vincent's unique face in the faint glow of a distant street light.

"And you must be Joe," Vincent replied.

Thinking of Catherine and her undying love for Vincent, Joe said, "She told me I have a heart like yours."


	13. Chapter 13

Vincent nodded. "Yes and you are Joe," he resonated.

"It's good to finally meet you."

"I need your help," Vincent said urgently. "I must find my son."

"I promise to help," answered Joe. "But there's something important I need to tell you first."

Vincent looked at Joe in confusion.

"Catherine is alive," Joe revealed.

~*~o~*~

At Gabriel's mansion, the nurse came to him with a grim look of concern. "It's the child," she said. "He's wasting away."

Gabriel looked disturbed when he heard the news. "The child needs his father," said Gabriel as he watched a video of Vincent killing the guards for the upteenth million time. Waving the nurse away with a flick of his hand, Gabriel revealed a rare smile. He had plans to lure Vincent to the baby. He couldn't wait to meet the man who had a thick mane of golden hair and long vicious claws.  
He was sure they'd get along famously.

The nurse returned upstairs to the child's room, a small nursery which was bereft of any sort of color or decoration. The baby lay in the middle of the crib, hardly moving. He did not make a single sound. He was staring up at the nurse as though he could see inside her soul. Every time she tried to give him his bottle, the child would refuse the cold rubber nipple. He wasn't thriving - not in the slightest. The child seemed to have given up all hope of survival. His diapers were barely wet as he hardly drank from any of the bottles she offered him. The nurse stared at the infant in worry. If the child died, Gabriel would surely kill her. What could she do to get the little one to eat?

Reaching into the crib, the nurse picked up the tiny baby. He was staring at her with his soulful blue eyes - his father's eyes. The look in the baby's eyes made the nurse feel uneasy. He was no ordinary baby. He was different. Exactly who or WHAT he was, the nurse was not sure. "You must eat," she said as she pressed the nipple into the baby's mouth. The child turned his head as though he didn't want to live.

The nurse sighed as she lay the unresponsive infant back inside his crib. If Gabriel didn't take action soon, they were going to lose the baby. She had been trying to warn him of the baby's health crisis, but Gabriel was too busy watching the same video over and over.

~*~o~*~

"Catherine's alive?!" Vincent cried out.

"She can't be. I held her. I felt her go..." Vincent gasped in disbelief.

"She's definitely alive. And she's been asking for you," said Joe.

"Then take me to her," Vincent insisted.

"Come with me," Joe said as he led Vincent away.

 _Author's note - Sorry this chapter is rather short, but the next one should be longer and just what you've been waiting for as I plan to reunite Vincent with Catherine._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

It was Joe who took Vincent to Catherine's side. Under cover of darkness, Vincent was taken to the safe location where Catherine had remained hidden under the tender care of Joe and the doctor. When Vincent swept into the room, he rushed to Catherine's bed and drew her lovingly in his arms. "It's true," he said in awe. "You're alive. Ohhh Catherine. My heart was so broken. I thought you were lost to me forever. I didn't know how- how I could live without you."

"I am so sorry, Vincent... that you had to go on thinking I was gone," she murmured with tears in her eyes. "But I had to remain hidden. The world had to think that Cathy Chandler had died. I feared that our connection; the bond that we shared for so long would lure you to me. You don't know how I feared for your safety."

"That connection has been severed," he said softly as he held her close against his chest. "On the night of our child's birth, I felt it calling to me again. But it wasn't OUR connection. It was our son's heart beating."

"Maybe our bond has manifested itself so now you have a special connection with our child," she said. "I am hoping that the bond you have to our son will lead you to him, so he can be rescued.'

"Catherine, I vow to you: I will rescue our son."

She squeezed his hand in hers as tears silently slid down her cheeks. She had held them back so long. She cried for their time apart from one another. She cried for her almost-death and the kidnapping of her newborn baby boy. She cried for all they had lost and all they wished to regain.

Tenderly, Vincent brushed away her warm, salty tears. "I will find him," he promised. "And the three of us will be together; a family."

"How will you find him?" Catherine questioned.

"I will open my heart and search for the gifts as you told me to do," Vincent stated.

Catherine returned to the memory of the night when Vincent was lamenting the loss of their bond. His memory was hazy and he had been so forlorn. She had told him to open up his arms and receive the new gifts that now awaited him.

"I tried to tell you that night that I was expecting our child," she said with a little smile. "But you were not yourself... well, not completely."

"I was struggling then to regain all my memories."

"Do you remember the night our son was conceived?"

"I remember everything. I love you, Catherine."

Suddenly he arose to his feet as though he were listening to some sound faraway in the great distance. "What is it?" Catherine asked urgently.

He could hear it! The incredible sound of their infant's heartbeat! Along with the blessed sound, he was bombarded with their child's feelings. Their baby boy _needed_ him! The longing of the child for love and comfort caused Vincent's heart to ache with incredible sorrow.

"What's wrong?" Catherine asked anxiously.

~*~o~*~

At Gabriel's mansion, the little one was struggling to survive. Despite all the nurse's efforts to give him the nourishing formula from a bottle, he longed for his mother's tender touch and the soothing voice of his father. Gabriel hardly ever came to the nursery. If it wasn't for the nurse's, the baby would have been completely alone. The child's heart was beating frantically as the nurse was doing everything possible to keep him alive.

"Baby boy," she said to the child who had no name. "You need healing- healing I cannot give."

The child stared up at the nurse with bright blue eyes - the eyes of his father. His tiny body was so close to giving up, but he had powers beyond those of an ordinary baby. He used his incredible abilities to call out to his parent. Knowing his father had heard his calls of distress, the baby closed his tired eyes. Touching his tiny chest, the nurse was relieved to find that his heart was still beating. She feared that it was just a matter of hours before the baby died.


End file.
